






















ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS 

OF 

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM 
OE NATURAL HISTORY 

VOL. XXII, PART III 

ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE POLAR ESKIMO 

BY 

CLARK WISSLER 



NEW YORK 

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES 
1918 


American Museum of Natural History. 

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(Continued on Sd p. of cover.) 



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ANTHROPOLOGICAL PAPERS 

OF 

THE AMERICAN MUSEUM 
OE NATURAL HISTORY 

VOL. XXII, PART III 


ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE POLAR ESKIMO 


CLARK WISSLER 

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NEW YORK 

PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE TRUSTEES 
1918 


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ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE POLAR ESKIMO. 
By Clark Wissler. 


105 



































































































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Preface. 

The objects upon which this study is based are from the archaeological 
collections made by members of the Crocker Land Expedition of the Ameri¬ 
can Museum of Natural History, 1913-1918. The sites represented are in 
the main on the shores of Northeast Greenland, which in historic times 
were occupied by a group of Eskimo known in America as Smith Sound 
Eskimo and in Denmark as the Polar Eskimo. The writer was not a mem¬ 
ber of the expedition, but represents the anthropological staff of this Mu¬ 
seum, in whose custody the collections were placed. He is not, therefore, 
familiar with the characteristics of the sites from which these objects come 
and can treat them only as objective examples of Eskimo culture. As such, 
they offer some suggestive contributions to Eskimo anthropology. 

The members of the expedition, particularly Doctor Edmund Otis 
Hovey, geologist of the Museum, Mr. Donald B. MacMillan, the leader 
of the Expedition, and Captain George Comer, well known to students of 
the Eskimo for his former contributions, all gave the greatest assistance in 
the preparation of these pages. The pen drawings were made by William 
Baake and the plans and map by S. Ichikawa. 

Clark Wissler. 

June, 1918. 


107 






































































































































- 


























CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Preface . .- 107 

Introduction . .. Ill 

Characteristics of the Locality.113 

Excavations in Comer’s Midden.114 

The Age of the Deposit .......... 114 

Methods of Working Bone and Ivory . . . . . . .117 

Knives.120 

Ulu or Woman’s Knife ..132 

Whetstones.'. .137 

Spoke Shaves. 137 

Snow Knives.137 

The Adze.140 

Ice Picks.142 

Hammers ..142 

Mattocks.143 

Sledges.144 

Toggles.144 

Kayaks ..145 

Bows and Arrows ..145 

Bird and Fish Spears.147 

Harpoons.149 

Lamps and Kettles.151 

Household Utensils.152 

Miscellaneous Objects.152 

Work in Whalebone.153 

Stone and Bone Points Wanting.156 

Decorated Objects . 157 

House Plans.158 

Relation of Comer’s Midden to Other Sites.160 

General Discussion . . 162 


109 














110 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History [Vol. XXII. 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Text Figures. 


1. 

The Village of Oomanahq, Comer’s Midden to the Left. 

Photo by Dr. 

Page. 


E. 0. Hovey. 



115 

2. 

Near View of Comer’s Midden showing Excavations. 

Photo by Dr. 



E. O. Hovey. 



115 

3. 

Drill with a Detachable Point, Parker Snow Bay 

• 


121 

4. 

A Bone Point resembling a Drill, Comer’s Midden 



121 

5. 

Bone Knives with Stone Blades, Southampton Island . 



* 121 

6. 

Bone Hafts for Knife Blades. 



123 

7. 

Part of Bone Knife Haft bearing Iron Blades 



124 

8. 

Knife bearing Lateral Stone Blades. Rensselaer Harbor 



125 

9. 

A Knife of Recent Make with Blade of Hoop-Iron 



126 

10. 

Chipped Flints from Etah ...... 



127 

11. 

Knife Handles. 



130 

12. 

Stone Ulus made from Local Diabase .... 



133 

13. 

Chipped Stones ........ 



133 

14. 

Part of Ulu Blade. 



134 

15. 

Ulu Handles. 



135 

16. 

Ulu and other Knife Handles. 



136 

17. 

Snow Knives. 



138 

18. 

Snow Knives. 



139 

19. 

Adze Heads. 



141 

20. 

A Maul Head and a Mattock. 



143 

21. 

Tip for a Kayak Paddle. 



145 

22. 

Wooden Barb for a Fish Spear. 



147 

23. 

Gull Hooks. 



148 

24. 

Harpoon Heads of Bone ...... 



150 

25. 

Fragment of Whalebone Mat or Drying Rack 



154 

26. 

Objects of Whalebone ....... 



154 

27. 

A Knife of Whalebone. 



155 

28. 

Unidentified Object of Whalebone .... 



155 

29. 

Toggle of Whalebone . . * . 



156 

30. 

A Lance Head. 



156 

31. 

Decorated Ivory Carvings, Etah. 



157 

32. 

Groundplans of Old Houses. 



159 

33. 

Ahk-po-hone Meteorite, Eskimo Igloo Site, Knud Peninsula, 

Ellesmere 



Land . 



166 


Map. 


1. Distribution of the Eskimo 


(166) 












Introduction. 


The objects described in this paper are from the archaeological collection 
of the Crocker Land Expedition. The value of observations based upon 
old Eskimo graves and camp sites is now clearly realized and it may be 
taken for granted that future explorations in the Arctic will give special 
attention to the collection of such data. Scandinavian scholars have made 
considerable progress in this direction, particularly for JCast and South 
Greenland. In this country, the first specific contribution was . Captain 
Comer’s collection from Southampton Island, Hudson Bay, fully discussed 
by Boas. Some years earlier, collections from Siberian sites were brought 
to this Museum by Bogoras, a member of the Jesup North Pacific Expedi¬ 
tion, but these were not fully described. Still later, the Stefansson-Ander- 
son Expedition returned very large collections from sites all the way from 
Point Hope, Alaska, to Coronation Gulf on the east. These, with the col¬ 
lections returned by the Crocker Land Expedition, present an Arctic 
archaeological series not paralleled anywhere. Since this Museum also 
has collections from living Eskimo representing every important cultural 
group from Siberia to Greenland, it offers exceptional facilities for com¬ 
parative studies. 

While no archaeologist accompanied the Crocker Land Expedition, its 
members were fully aware of the importance of such data and kept a sharp 
lookout for old house sites and camp refuse. Captain George Comer, noted 
for his contributions from Hudson Bay, accompanied the relief vessel in the 
summer of 1915. Those familiar with the full history of the expedition 
know that this vessel was frozen in at Parker Snow Bay. Captain Comer 
was, therefore, an involuntary member of the party until the return of all 
in September, 1917- Not expecting to winter with the party, he was neither 
equipped nor otherwise prepared for archaeological work, but, wishing to 
make the most of the opportunity, he did what he could. 

His method was to locate old house sites and dig away the debris cover¬ 
ing the original floors. In all, fifty-three such sites were plotted and ex¬ 
cavated. Their distribution ranged from Parker Snow Bay to Rensselaer 
Harbor. In addition, some twenty graves were examined. 

Anyone with a general idea of Eskimo life will understand how unlikely 
it is that a single site will be occupied continuously or even for appreciable 
periods at intervals. Such conditions are decidedly unfavorable to archae¬ 
ological investigations, since their successful outcome depends upon the 
establishment of chronologies as interpretations of observed stratifications, 


111 


112 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

or superpositions. Nevertheless, Captain Comer found little difficulty in 
distinguishing between sites belonging to Eskimo of the last fifty years and 
those of earlier date. His collections, taken objectively, show that some 
reasonably old sites are represented. 

Yet, the most important discovery was a considerable deposit of camp 
refuse at a site near North Star Bay, a small harbor within Wostenholme 
Sound. Since the mere location of such a site is unique in Eskimo archaeol¬ 
ogy, we shall speak of it as Comer’s Midden. 


1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


113 


Characteristics of the Locality. 


As to the location and physical characteristics of the site, the following 
statement is made by Doctor Edmund Otis Hovey: — 

The archaeological site dug into by Captain George Comer near North Star 
Bay was in front of the igloos forming the Eskimo settlemenLof Oo-ma-nahq, which 
is actually on the southern shore of Wostenholme Sound. It is on the north side 
of the isthmus leading out to the butte called Oo-ma-nahq, which rises about seven 
hundred feet above the sea at the north side of the mouth of North Star Bay. The 
neck of land lying thus between North Star Bay and Wostenholme Sound presents 
a gently rolling surface which has been a sea bottom within recent geological time. 
It consists of a sill of ancient basic igneous rock (diabase) covered with a thin mantle 
of sand, gravel, shingle, and bowlders. The highest portions of the plain, which is 
from a quarter of a mile to a mile in width, are about fifty feet above the sea. The 
igloos stand near the sea and are about fifteen feet above high water mark. They 
command an excellent outlook northward across the Sound and a broader view can 
be secured from the low cliffs rising about twenty-five feet above the water fifty or 
sixty yards to the northeast. The low, gentle ridge which ends in these cliffs gives 
the igloos a measure of protection against the heavy wind that occasionally sweeps 
out of the fjord. The Eskimo have occupied with igloos at least three sites along 
the south coast of Wostenholme Sound, but that at Oo-ma-nahq shows evidence of 
being the principal one utilized. In fact, there are many ruins of old igloos scattered 
along a zone bordering the sea at this locality, but the natives seem never to have 
dwelt along or near the shore of North Star Bay itself. The ice remains from two to 
three weeks longer in North Star Bay than it does in the more open Wostenholme 
Sound, while seals, walrus, and narwhal are more abundant in the Sound than in 
the Bay and can be hunted more easily and successfully from Oo-ma-nahq than from 
North Star Bay. 

The refuse heap at which Captain Comer worked, lay in front of three igloos 
nestling in the lee of the low columnar basalt or diabase sea cliffs to which I have 
referred, their entrances being from ten to twenty feet back from the shore line. 
The heap was formed by throwing d6bris from the dwellings over the bank toward 
the sea. In cross-section it was inclined lenticular in shape, its base being the steep 
shingly beach, and, toward the eastern end of the deposit, the ledge of rock which 
rises one to three feet above it. The lay of the ground caused most of the material 
thrown on to it to slide or roll down to the bottom of the slope, where much of it 
would be washed away by the sea or carried off with the ice foot. The vertically 
lowest part of the heap, therefore, would not contain the oldest material, but the 
oldest articles would be those which stuck to the inclined bank and the successive 
layers, or were held in place there by snow or freezing water until they were covered. 
The bottom* of the deposit, that is its lowest portion vertically, seemed to me to be a 
mixture in respect to probable antiquity. There did not seem to be anything in the 
nature of the deposit itself that indicated its age in years. Its rate of accumulation 
would depend on the number of families occupying the nearby igloos, the continuity 
with which the dwellings were used and more or less upon the abundance of food and 


114 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

other material. In times of plenty more would be lost or thrown away than in times 
of scarcity. The deposit consisted of artifacts mixed with bones, whalebone, ivory, 
decayed grass, earth, and stones. It exhaled a strong odor of ammonia when the 
thawed portions were disturbed. * 


Excavations in Comer’s Midden. 

Fig. 2 shows the site of Captain Comer’s excavations. According to 
his notes, a considerable space at the foot of the ledge was filled with fallen 
rock and sand. This mass of debris presents a triangular cross-section with 
a base of about ten feet. Built up on its irregular surface was a layer of 
camp refuse to the average depth of about five feet. A section of this was 
dug away as shown in the illustration. 

Captain Comer assumed that since the outer surface of the midden was 
subject to repeated thawings and freezings, it would be wiser to discard, or 
segregate this layer. Consequently, about two feet was removed, exposing 
the solidly frozen mass beneath. It is apparent that the refuse of each year 
raised the level of the heap and thus brought one notch higher the perpetually 
frozen deposit beneath. Excavations in this frozen layer were tedious. It 
was necessary to wait until the surface had thawed for an inch or two, then 
scrape the muck away and wait again. 

All of the objects described as from this midden were taken from the 
frozen layers where they had been in perpetual cold storage ever since they 
reached the ice table. On this account, we cannot judge their ages by 
degrees of decay. 


The Age of the Deposit. 

While the place of these remains in Eskimo culture is a point to be 
demonstrated in the succeeding discussions, certain general observations 
may be noted at this time. In the first place, stone tools of every kind were 
absent. Only three slate knives were found, a few flakes of flint, a bit of 
chalcedony and two stones showing chipping (Fig. 13). It may be objected 
that these are, nevertheless, sufficient evidence for the use of stone, but our 
experience with other sites around Hudson Bay and westward is that the 
camp debris left by a stone-using Eskimo, will yield many examples of such 
use. Further, if the many hafts of tools found had indicated stone points 
and blades, the failure to find stone here might be ignored as a puzzling 
inconsistency, but as we shall see, these hafts indicated the use of metal. 
In fact, some tiny fragments of iron were secured. 


1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


11 



Fig. 1. The Village of Oomanahq, Comer’s Midden to the Left. Photo by Dr. 
E. O. Hovey. 



Fig. 2. Near View of Comer’s Midden showing Excavations. Photo by Dr. 
E. O. Hovey. 























































































































































. 





































































1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


117 


The other materials shown in the collection are bone, antler, wood, and 
whalebone. Of ivory, there are a few examples, all of which show little 
weathering and according to Captain Comer’s statements were on, or near, 
the surface. The distribution of the other materials was approximately 
uniform, except that the objects of whalebone were near the bottom. 

Large quantities of unworked bone were removed, in fact such material 
made up a large part of the refuse heap. In the main, there were the bones 
of rabbits, birds, caribou, and seals. Seal teeth were also numerous. Those 
of the bear were seldom met with and the walrus scarcely at all; indeed, but 
a single tooth for the latter. Ivory, as stated, was scarcely in evidence. 
On the other hand, the true whalebone was surprisingly abundant, though 
body bones were not equally well represented. 

Another striking feature was the great mass of spruce wood fragments, 
suggesting that wood played a prominent part in the culture of these Eskimo. 

As the description of the site suggests, the precise determination of the 
order of accumulation is not easy. Objects thrown over the bank would 
tend to reach the bottom of the sloping refuse heap, so that we may suspect 
the horizontal order at the base to be the most significant. However, 
Captain Comer’s method avoided many of the complications presented, 
for he first took off two to three feet of the outer surface and segregated the 
objects found. The remainder of the deposit was frozen and necessitated 
removing but a thin layer day by day as the freshly exposed surface thawed 
out. Thus, there is no reason to doubt that the collection from this lower 
section of the refuse belongs to a period earlier than that from the surface 
layer. No glass or other traces of trade articles were found in this lower 
layer, though such may be seen on the surface at camp sites around the bay. 
At Etah several of the house sites excavated yielded bits of glass and some 
a few brass shells of the type used in Kane’s time, while many gave no sign 
of European contact. Further data upon these points will be developed 
as we proceed with the detailed account of the objects found. 


Methods of Working Bone and Ivory. 

Although repeated references are made to the technique of bone and 
ivory working among the Eskimo in the many publications upon the culture 
of these people, no full description of the processes involved has come to 
notice. It is generally stated that these materials are worked by cutting, 
sawing, and drilling, and that of these, the most preferred and perhaps the 
most aboriginal, is drilling. A discussion of these processes, as illustrated 
in the archaeological collections returned by the Expedition, seems advisable. 


118 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

since they may give us some basis for estimating the relative age of the 
Eskimo cultures represented. 

Of the three processes named, sawing is undoubtedly recent, since it can 
only be executed in the manner observed in the collections by the use of a 
metal saw. Some of the objects from each of the localities represented give 
evidence of having been worked by sawing. In some cases, the trial saw 
cuts of the native workman are still to be seen. These are of such a form 
and size as to preclude the possibility of the use of any other implement 
save a modern steel saw. Even specimens from Comer’s Midden present 
a few examples of sawing, though most of the antler objects in that collec¬ 
tion have been worked by cutting or hacking. (But one piece in the entire 
lot shows evidence of having been grooved on opposite sides and then broken.) 
On the other hand, the collections from other points in North Star Bay, 
from Parker Snow Bay, Saunders Island, and the vicinity of Etah, furnish 
many examples of sawing, particularly in the edges of bone sections for sled 
runners and on the edges of ivory sled shoes. Anyone familiar with Eskimo 
collections will recall frequent examples of saws, in many cases, of native 
manufacture. The usual form is a small blade of trade steel, the teeth for 
which have been produced by filing, hafted with a curved piece of antler 
somewhat like the handle for the ordinary carpenter’s saw. As will be 
shown elsewhere, no metal tools of any kind were found in Comer’s Midden, 
but from the other sites a number of such implements was collected, among 
which is a saw of this type from Etah. It is further plain that all of the 
collections obtained, with the possible exception of those from the deeper 
layers in Comer’s Midden, belong to a period when trade saws and their 
counterparts were in general use among the Eskimo of Greenland. 

As stated before, the preferred Eskimo method for cutting bone, antler, 
or ivory, is by drilling holes side by side in the direction of the desired cut 
and then breaking off the material along this line. While this method has 
been cited as almost peculiar to the working of ivory, our collections show 
that it is also applied to working antler and bone of the whale, though it is 
true that the number of examples of such drilling is far greater in ivory than 
in the other materials, particularly in the collections from the vicinity of 
Etah. On the other hand, it will be noted that ivory objects were of rare 
occurrence in Comer’s Midden and such examples as were noted seem to 
have been on the surface. Nevertheless, among these is a piece of ivory 
cut by drilling with a very small drill, something less than one-sixteenth of 
an inch. The holes are deep and clear-cut, such as scarcely could have been 
accomplished without a metal drill. But there is also a piece of antler from 
this same deposit cut in the same way. The collections from Etah contain 
a very fine example of the application of this method to the cutting of antler 


1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


119 


in which we find a large tine has been cut off by drilling twenty-four holes 
in a line passing entirely around the piece. The drill in this case was about 
three-sixteenths of an inch. There are other examples in the collection of 
antler cut in the same manner. Yet, if we take into consideration the entire 
number of worked pieces of antler returned by the collectors, it must be 
said that the usual method is by sawing, except in Comer’s Midden, where 
almost without exception the antler has been cut or hacked. 

The Etah collections contain a large series of whale bone slabs used in 
making sleds. Most of these, as previously stated, have been brought to 
their present shape by sawing, but a few show evidence of having been cut 
by drilling. Similar pieces were not returned from the other localities, 
except one from North Star Bay which, incidentally, was cut by drilling. 
From Comer’s Midden there are no examples of such whale bone sled pieces, 
though there are pieces of worked bone evidently used in the construction 
of sleds. The inference would be that the type of sled used by the people 
occupying the site of Comer’s Midden was different from that returned by 
these collections. To this point we shall refer again. 

From Comer’s Midden there is an interesting oval flat piece of bone, a 
section of which has been cut out by drilling. A similar piece was found 
nearby on the shore. A piece of ivory sled shoe from Etah shows an inter¬ 
esting example of drilling in some secondary working. It had been brought 
to a point by drilling and then wedged so as to break away the corners. 

From Etah and Saunders Island come many sections of ivory sled shoes, 
all showing evidence of having been worked by splitting and sawing. Their 
form, size, and arrangement of the drill holes show them to be of one precise 
type. The interesting point is that no such sled shoes were found at Comer’s 
Midden. There were, however, long pieces of bone drilled in a different 
manner which may have served the same purpose. 

Another object of frequent occurrence in Comer’s Midden is a bone 
snow knife of the w^ell-known Greenland type. The curved handle for this 
has been cut out by hacking. In no case is there evidence of sawing or 
drilling. 

The apparent rarity of drilling at Comer’s Midden, in contrast to what 
seems to have been the rule in the other sites, makes a brief examination of 
drills desirable. Five metal drills in wooden shafts were collected: one from 
Saunders Island; one from the shore of North Star Bay; one from Parker 
Snow Bay; and two from Etah. One or two special points in these deserve 
mention. In one specimen (60.1-4575) the tang of the drill, which is driven 
into the wooden haft, has been given a triangular form, doubtless to prevent 
its twisting in the shaft. Fig. 3 seems to have been a double tool. When 
found, the metal drill point was in place, as shown in the drawing, but on 


120 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


examination, it appears that it was held in place laterally by two small 
wooden wedges. When these were pulled out the shaft was easily with¬ 
drawn and the other end of the point found to have been beaten out in the 
form of a small chisel or other cutting tool. From general appearances, 
» this metal point seems to have been beaten out from a nail. No similar 
tool has come to notice and this may no doubt be set down as another ex¬ 
ample of Eskimo ingenuity. The points of all the drills have the same form, 
as shown in Fig. 3. They are slightly flattened with somewhat flaring edges. 
That this form is rather universal in Eskimo drills is indicated by its occur¬ 
rence in specimens from Alaska. 1 Murdoch describes a specimen with a 
bone point of this same shape suggesting that the type is an old one even 
antedating the use of metal. Naturally, the stone drill points that have 
been so far collected do not have this form, but taper slightly from the point. 
Nevertheless, they do show a rounded end similar to the iron specimens in 
our collections. 

As previously stated, no metal drills were found in Comer’s Midden; 
and though there are a considerable number of wooden objects, among 
these appear no drill shafts. Still, we do find a piece of bone (Fig. 4) which 
bears a striking resemblance to both the metal drill point and to the bone 
point described by Murdoch. It is not certain that this is a drill point 
but the similarity is so striking that attention is called to it. With this 
exception, there are no specimens from the Midden that suggest drills, 
though, of course, there are evidences of drilling in some of the objects. 

In conclusion, it appears that while there may be some differences be¬ 
tween the culture of the people occupying the site of Comer’s Midden and 
those occupying the other localities from which collections were returned, 
all belong to a period when metal tools were in general use. Particularly, 
the size, depth, and form of drill holes found in the worked material at most 
of the sites leaves no other conclusion but that metal drills w'ere used. 


Knives. 

Perhaps the most interesting objects in the collections from Comer’s 
Midden are some fragmentary knife hafts similar to some specimens de¬ 
scribed by Boas from Southampton Island. The best example of this type 
was fully described by this author whose illustration we reproduce here, 2 


1 Murdoch, John. “Ethnological Results of the Point Barrow Expedition” (Ninth 
Annual Report, Bureau of American Ethnology, Washington, 1892), 179. 

2 Boas, Franz, “Second Report on the Eskimo of Baffin Land and Hudson Bay” ( Bulle¬ 
tin, American Museum of Natural History, vol. 15, part 2, 1907), 384, Fig. 178. 




Fig. 3 (60.1-4540). Drill with a Detachable Point, Parker Snow Bay. Length of a, 
23.5 cm. 

Fig. 4. (60.1-4480). A Bone Point resembling a Drill, Comer’s Midden. Length, 

7 cm. 

Fig. 5 (60-5144, 5389). Bone Knives with Stone Blades, Southampton Island. Length 
of a, 68 cm. Boas, 1907. 








































122 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History . [Vol. XXII, 


(Fig. 5). It will be noted that the cutting edge of this knife is formed by 
blades of chipped stone inserted in pockets along the edge of the bone haft. 
A fragment of such a haft, in every way similar to the figured specimen 
from Southampton Island, is shown in Fig. 6a. It had, as may be seen, a 
point at the end, while on each side of the part remaining we find three deep 
pockets for the insertion of blades. The difference between this specimen 
and the one from Southampton Island lies chiefly in the width of these 
pockets. This width is uniform from end to end and is approximately 
2 mm. In fact, it is made with such precision that one must assume that 
the blades to be inserted were exceedingly regular. This regularity and 
the narrowness of the slot makes it difficult to conceive that stone w T as used 
as the knife edge. It seems much more likely that metal blades of a leaf¬ 
like shape were inserted in these pockets. 

Fig. 6c is part of a knife haft both ends of which are missing and which 
seems to have had a row of similar blades on one side, three pockets for 
which remain. These have the same regular form as the preceding, but 
are something less than 2 mm. in width. Fig. 6b differs from the preceding, 
for while it is cut to receive both end and side blades the grooving does not 
take the pocket form, but is continuous as if a long metal blade had been 
inserted. It will also be noted that the point was held by a rivet. The two 
holes at the opposite end may have been to repair a break. The long con¬ 
tinuous groove, or slot, in this handle is also between one and two milli¬ 
meters in width. It is true that the bottom of the groove contains slight 
pocket-like depressions, but there are no partitions to separate these, so 
that it may be assumed that the workman intended to cut the slot an even 
depth. 

Figs. 6d and 6c represent small fragments of knife hafts with grooves 
on one edge only. These grooves are similar to Fig. 6b in that they are 
continuous and without pockets. 

There are a number of other specimens in Comer’s Midden collection 
containing grooves similar to those figured. 

In general, it appears, therefore, that while we have here undoubted 
examples of knives formed after the same pattern as those described from 
Southampton Island, the character of the grooves is such that iron or other 
metal blades must be assumed. As stated elsewhere, practically no chipped 
stone was found in Comer’s Midden. Also, strange to say, but two definite 
traces of iron were found. 

Captain Comer notes in his diary, under date of August 29th, 1916, that 
he found part of a knife blade two feet below the surface containing flakes 
of iron set in a groove so as to form a cutting edge. He made, at the time, 
a rough sketch of this specimen, which is reproduced here (Fig. 7). Unfor- 




1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of 


the Polar Eskimo. 


123 







y 


Fig. G (G0.1-4409a, 4409b, 4409c, 4409d, 4409e, 4G14). Bone Hafts for Knife Blades. Length of n, 1G cm. 

















































































124 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

tunately, this specimen, with others, was lost in transit. Nevertheless, 
it must be taken as conclusive evidence that the people occupying this site 
did use knives formed by setting small flakes or leaf-like pieces of iron in a 
groove along the edge of a bone haft. As is well known, such knives have 
been noted from Western Greenland, the cutting edge to which consisted 
of small leaf-like flakes of iron. Some writers have assumed this to be 
meteoric iron. 1 

The haft shown in Fig. 6b has a few minute flakes of oxidized iron at the 
bottom of the groove, but since this knife is evidently grooved for a long 
continuous blade it seems unlikely that this could have been meteoric iron. 
It seems, therefore, reasonably certain that though the people of this site 
may have at one time possessed meteoric or other native iron, they never¬ 
theless did have access through trade channels to iron tools or, at least, to a 
sufficient quantity of iron to manufacture knives according to their old 
pattern. The missing specimen referred to in Captain Comer’s diary cer¬ 
tainly suggests the descriptions of meteoric iron knives cited by Boas. 2 



Fig. 7. Part of Bone Knife Haft bearing Iron Blades. Drawn from Captain Comer’s 
sketch. 

We were unable to find any traces- of iron remaining in the specimens 
represented in Figs. 6a and 6c, or the ones in which there were well-defined 
pockets in which leaf-like blades must have been inserted. As previously 
stated, our reasons for assuming the material used in the pockets of these 
knife hafts was iron, are their regular shape and narrowness. Fortunately 
Mr. MacMillan secured from Rensselaer Harbor in August, 1916, what is 
probably a knife (Fig. 8) made of antler, in one side of which is a pocket 
containing a chipped blade. The pocket or groove for this blade is shaped 
differently from the specimens in Comer’s Midden. Instead of having a 


1 Boas, ibid., 384-386; Thalbitzer, William, “The Ammassalik Eskimo. Parti. Con¬ 
tributions to the Ethnology of the East Greenland Natives” (Meddelelser om Grflnland, vol. 
39, Copenhagen, 1914), 488-490. 

2 Boas, ibid., 384. 





1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


125 


uniform width, it is oval, tapering at each end to conform to the outlines 
of a chipped flake. It further appears that there was a similar stone blade 
on the opposite edge, but only a small part of the groove remains. The 
finder of the specimen turned in a second piece of stone which may have 
rested in this groove when the haft was intact. 1 

This find is not only interesting because it gives us an opportunity to 
compare the two types of knife haft in question, but also because it is the 
first specimen, to our knowledge, found in Greenland suggesting the type 
of knife described from Southampton Island by Boas and the curious 
harpoon heads from Alaska and adjacent regions in the sides of which were 
grooves containing small flaked blades. 2 It would seem therefore that the 
use of knives with cutting edges formed by a row of flakes was at one time 
universal among the Eskimo from Greenland to Alaska. We may be war¬ 
ranted, therefore, in concluding that the iron knives formed by setting small 
flakes of iron in a row along the edge of the bone handle, were copies of the 



Fig. 8 (60.1-509G). Knife bearing Lateral Stone Blades. The opposite blade is missing. 
Rensselaer Harbor, Length, 15 cm. 


older stone knife, as has been suggested by Boas, Thalbitzer, and others 3 
and also that the pocketed hafts from Comer’s Midden belong to this series. 
It need not necessarily follow that the natives at Comer’s Midden used 
meteoric iron. It may be imagined that natives coming in contact with 
iron in small quantities and incidentally, would be likely to make knives 
in the form of those already in use and thus make them conform to the old 
type of stone knife. 

The probability of this is suggested by another find. In June, 1917, 


1 As to the finding of this specimen Mr. MacMillan writes as follows:— It was found 
in Rensselaer Bay in one of the very numerous old igloos dotting the whole coast line from 
Etah 78° 20' to the southern edge of the Humboldt Glacier, 79° 10'. This knife was brought 
to me by an Eskimo by the name of Myah, who found it in August, 1916. Both cutting 
edges of flint were with the handle. How the knife was used I do not know. I have drawings 
of other old knives, as described by the older men of the tribe, but all with numerous teeth, 
some of w T hich overlapped. 

2 Wissler, this series, vol. 14, part 2, Fig. 3bcd, 407. 

3 Boas, ibid., 484;, Thalbitzer, ibid., 490. 










126 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


Captain Comer found in an old house ruin near Etah a number of objects 
among which was Fig. 6f. This is a rather curious fragment of what seems 
to have been a knife, for the haft is almost circular in cross-section instead 
of flat and knife-like, as in the specimens previously described. Yet, on 
one edge of the fragment are two pockets similar to those described, in one 
of which there remains a fragment of iron. The groove resembles that of 
the preceding in its regularity and is again approximately 2 mm. wide. 
Another curious feature is that the grooves do not run exactly parallel to 
the fragment and there is also a small pocket cut to one side of the others, 
suggesting an error in workmanship. The fragment of iron shows indica¬ 
tions of crude beating, but its appearance does not suggest meteoric iron. 
In fact, Professor R. W. Tower of the Museum staff tested it for nickle with¬ 
out result. 

Again, at the same place Captain Comer picked up a small piece of antler 
in the end of which had been driven the section of a knife blade (60.1-4617). 
Of course, there is no way of knowing whether this specimen is more recent 



Fig. 9 (60.1-5064). A Knife of Recent Make with Blade of Hoop-Iron. Length, 31 cm. 


or even contemporaneous with Fig. 6f. The amount of weathering of the 
two bones is about the same. It is, however, obvious that the maker of the 
specimen 60.1-4617, had access to trade knives. 

Near Sunrise Point Captain Comer found in a house ruin, among other 
objects, a fragment somewhat similar to Fig. 6f. The pockets in this 
specimen are rather deep but are otherwise not different from Fig. 6f. Yet, 
no traces of metal were observed. In the same ruin a number of stone chips 
were found, none of which, however, suggest their use in knives of this sort. 

At various places in the vicinity of Etah Mr. MacMillan found fragments 
of knife handles, some grooved on one side and some on both, but in every 
case the grooves were without pockets, narrow and straight, suggesting the 
use of long strips of iron or steel knife blades for the cutting edges. In other 
words, they resemble, in every particular, recent Eskimo knives such as 
may still be seen in collections (Fig. 9). . 

At this point it may be worth examining the few examples of chipped 
stone returned by the collectors to see if any of the objects could have served 
as blades for knives similar to Fig. 8. 










1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


127 


As previously stated, there was very little stone from Comer’s Midden. 
However, there were three flint chips indicating that at least some chipping 
had been done there. From the vicinity of Etah twelve sites returned some 
examples of chipping though these were usually confined to one or two 
chips. Captain Comer found, July 29th, 1917, while digging in a house 
ruin near Sunrise Point, a small cache of flint chips on the left side of what 
was the passageway to the house. There are, in all, something over a 
double handful of these chips, but they are simply flakes struck off evidently 
in the making of stone implements. There are but three pieces in the lot 



that show fine surface chipping. Among these are flakes struck off in 
re-shaping a large tool of some sort. The surface chipping is particularly 
fine and regular. Of the entire series of fragments from the other sites, 
not over a large handful in all, we find no piece that seems at all suitable for 
insertion in a knife, with one possible exception. Fig. lOe was found in a 
house ruin at Etah and may be a part of a broken lance head, but is also of 
such a shape that it could be set in the pocket of a bone knife similar to 
Fig. 8. 

The only other cases of chipping deserving mention are shown in Figs. 
10 and 13. Fig. 10a is evidently the blade for a small scraper; Fig. 10b 


128 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

has the appearance of a spoke shave, though this may be accidental; Fig. 
10c is a carefully shaped object which we have been unable to identify; and 
Fig. lOd which is apparently part of a drill. 

One peculiarity of the knives from Comer’s Midden is the absence of the 
type from Greenland well illustrated by Thomsen. 1 This type has a long 
slender bone handle with a groove cut on one side near the end for the 
insertion of a blade. As has been remarked by writers upon the subject, 
this type of knife is a prototype of the stone knife formed by placing a small 
stone blade near the end of a handle, such as may be seen in Alaskan col¬ 
lections illustrated by Murdoch. 2 Knife handles of the type described by 
Thomsen, referred to above, were found at various sites in the vicinity of 
Etah. All of them are so grooved as to indicate the use of metal blades. 
It is, however, not clear why this type of knife is absent in the collections 
from Comer’s Midden; yet, it may be remarked that there is one incom¬ 
plete handle, much weathered, near the end of which there is a very narrow 
shallow slot or groove about 2 cm. long and slightly less than 1 mm. in 
width. The form of this thus suggests that it was originally the handle for 
some other kind of implement and that this groove was made here in second¬ 
ary working of some kind. As it has only the vaguest resemblance to the 
knife referred to above, it cannot be considered as a bona fide example. 

We do, however, find objects indicating the use of somewhat similar 
knives. Fig. 11a may be taken as the type. As will be observed, the knife 
blade was inserted in the end by a tang and the portion of the handle that 
remained was so grooved as to suggest a wrapping or binding such as may 
be observed upon the knives in Eskimo collections. There is a deep hole 
in the end of this handle in the bottom of which we found a small metal 
fragment surrounded by a curious bluish stain, suggesting copper, but the 
fragment proved to be iron. It is thus clear that this is the handle of a 
metal knife and one may assume that it had a large blade somewhat similar 
to knives from Hudson Bay figured by Boas. 3 Since such a knife cpuld not 
well be made of native iron, we assume this blade to have been of commercial 
iron. 

Altogether there are seven handles of this type from Comer’s Midden. 
One of these has the remains of a sinew cord in the handle hole. All have 
deep sockets in the end for tangs similar to that of the figured specimen. 
The form and depth of these sockets suggest similar metal blades. It is 


1 Thomsen, Thomas, “Implements and Artefacts of the North-East Greenlanders 
Finds from Graves and Settlements’’ ( Danmark-Ekspeditionen til Grtfnlands, Nordostkyst, 
1906-1908, Meddelelser om Grflnland, vol. 44, Copenhagen, 1917), Fig. 26, 429. 

2 ibid., 160, Fig. 117. 

3 Boas, ibid.. Fig. 202, 404. 



1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


129 


true that we have a knife of frequent occurrence in Greenland collections 
and also extensively in the Stefansson collections from Alaska, which car¬ 
ried a short stubby stone blade. A large series of handles from Point Hope 
and Point Barrow shows forms strikingly like the handles from Comer’s 
Midden, but in most cases these were intended for stone blades, the sockets 
being much more shallow and of a different shape. We also have from the 
same Alaskan sites a number of specimens with the stone blades still in 
place. A comparison of these with the handles from Comer’s Midden leaves 
us no other conclusion than that the latter handles were all fitted with metal 
blades. 

From another site at North Star Bay Captain Comer picked up a handle 
in every way similar to Fig. 11a. There are curious greenish stains on this 
specimen and another from the same site, suggesting copper, but no piece 
of metal remains. 

There are two other objects from Comer’s Midden which seem to have 
been intended for knife handles. These are longer than the specimens just 
described being in fact long enough for two-handled knives such as have been 
described for the Eskimo further west. One of these handles is shown in 
Fig, 16a. There is a shallow groove across the end apparently for the 
insertion of the knife blade. There are, however, no rivet holes, suggesting 
that this handle was never completed. The other specimen is similar to 
this except that it bears a rivet hole but is not figured because of its frag¬ 
mentary condition. A comparison of these with knife handles from Hudson 
Bay and elsewhere indicates that these are most likely handles for a large 
two-handed knife. So far as I know, this type has not heretofore been 
observed in Greenland. 

No handles of this type were returned from any other site except a 
possible specimen from the vicinity of Etah. This is, however, in such a 
fragmentary condition that it is impossible to determine its precise char¬ 
acter and it may therefore be passed as doubtful. 

The only other object from Comer’s Midden suggesting a knife handle 
is the fragment shown in Fig. 11c. Somewhat similar forms, as for example, 
Fig. lib, were picked up at several sites near Etah. The above is, however, 
the only example of such a handle from Comer’s Midden. 

From another site on North Star Bay comes a knife handle, much weath¬ 
ered and decayed. Its form is clearly indicated in Fig. lid. It has a deep 
groove in the edge at the end, indicating the insertion of a blade and certain 
green stains about this aperture suggest copper. The handle end has been 
grooved as if for attaching a cord. 

In general, then,-it may be said that practically all the knives from these 
sites in West Greenland belong to the metal-using period of Eskimo culture. 


130 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 








Fig. 11 (60.1-4404a, 4633, 4404b, 4515). Knife Handles: a, Comer’s Midden; b, Etalr 
Comer’s Midden; d, North Star Bay. Length of a, 12.3 cm. 


























1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


131 


The significance of this has been discussed at length by Thalbitzer 1 and 
by Solberg 2 and more recently by Thomsen. 3 From these discussions 
it seems that the only example.of the old Eskimo stone knife similar to the 
type specimen described by Boas from Southampton Island (Fig. 5) is the 
one shown in our Fig. 8. The Museum at Copenhagen seems to possess 
several examples of knife hafts similar to our Fig. 6 but none of these indi¬ 
cates the use of a stone blade. We have previously mentioned the possi¬ 
bility of meteoric iron having been employed for the blades of such knives. 
The investigation of Danish students has shown, however, 4 that most of the 
early iron knives used by the Eskimo in West Greenland were made from 
native telluric iron and not meteoric. As to the use of telluric iron we shall 
have more to add later. It has been assumed therefore, that the Eskimo 
iron culture of West Greenland is very old and possibly even older than the 
period of European contact. The assumption is that the pocketed haft 
of the type shown in Fig. 6 is a literal copy of the older stone knife shown in 
our Fig. 5. It would follow, therefore, that the old and original type of 
Eskimo knife for both the Hudson Bay region and West Greenland w'as 
onfe having an edge formed of small chipped pieces of stone set in a row. 
This gives us a kind of chronology for West Greenland in that the sites 
showing iron knives of the type of Fig. 6 are almost contemporary with 
sites on Hudson Bay yielding stone knives of similar pattern. Further, we 
may assume that the knife formed by a long narrow blade of iron set in a 
groove is a later type, possibly, as has been suggested, a direct copy from 
European trade knives. Hence, we may assume that all sites returning 
knives of this character belong to the historic period. If this assumption 
is justifiable it appears that at least the lower strata of the site at Comer’s 
Midden belong to the earliest period of Eskimo occupation in West Green¬ 
land and are certainly older than many of the sites examined in the vicinity 
of Etah. Nevertheless, there were certain sites at Etah, particularly the 
one yielding the specimen shown in Fig. 6f and the one from Rensselaer 
Harbor, giving us so far the only known example of a stone-edged knife 
of this type. As to whether there was a still older culture in West Green¬ 
land properly designated as a stone age culture, we need not discuss at 
present. Suffice it to say that no evidences of such a period of occupation 
were brought to light by the archaeological work of this Expedition. 


1 Thalbitzer, ibid., 488-490. 

2 Solberg, O., “Beitrage zur Vorgeschichte der Ost-Eskimo” ( Videnskabs-Selskabets 
Skrifter, II, Hist.-Filos. Klasse, Christiana, 1907), 53-54. 

3 Thomsen, ibid., 424—434. 

4 Thomsen, ibid., 432. 



132 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


Ulu or Woman’s Knife. 

As previously stated, few stone objects were found in Comer’s Midden. 1 
Altogether there were just nine pieces, some of which have already been 
referred to (p. 127). The others are shown in Figs. 12-14. Of these Figs. 
12ab are undoubtedly ulus, and of particular interest because they seem to 
have been used without an additional haft, though from the roughness of 
the edge it must be inferred that some kind of binding or other hafting was 
used. The cutting edges have been carefully ground and in the case of 
Fig. 12a, to a remarkable keenness. Fig. 14 is evidently the blade for a 
small ulu-like knife, tapering at the top to form a tang for insertion in the 
handle. 

Fig. 13a is a curious fractured form having what seems to be a broad 
cutting edge. This may be an accidental chipping, but the edge shows some 
signs of wear from use. Fig. 13b is still more curious. It reminds one of 
certain paleolithic types, in fact, the coup de poing. Its sharp chisel-like 
edge shows some indication of wear. The top of the object seems to have 
been broken away. The function of this implement, if implement it is, can, 
of course only be conjectured. 

Among the bone objects were thirteen ulu handles of various forms. 
The prevailing type is shown in Fig. 15a and a slight variation of the same 
in Fig. 15b. The interesting thing about all these handles is that they have 
a very deep but narrow slot suggesting the use of a metal blade. There is, 
in fact, but one in the whole lot which has a slot of a form suggesting a stone 
blade. In this case, we cannot be sure, however, for the specimen seems to 
have warped slightly, which may account for a certain amount of distortion 


1 Note on the Stone Implements and Chips in the Crocker Land Expedition Collection, 
by Dr. E. O. Hovey.— The few stone implements and artificial chips recovered from Captain 
Comer’s midden at Oo-ma-nahq near North Star Bay are bits of slate or flakes of trap rock 
(diabase) from the vicinity, aside from one knife point worked from a chip of chalcedony. 
Chalcedony was collected by Mr. Elmer Ekblaw, geologist of the Crocker Land Expedition, 
from cavities in the ancient igneous rocks of McCormick Bay and it is not unknown elsewhere 
along the coast. 

True flint artifacts and flakes were found in the refuse heap excavated by Captain Comer 
near Littleton Island. These resemble the flint of England so closely that it seems most 
probable that the material was brought to the north water of Baffin Bay by the whalers who 
frequented the region in the years following Captain Ross’s visit. Magister M. P. Porsild, 
chief of the scientific station at Godhavn, Island of Disko, has obtained from the Greenlanders 
of Danish Greenland fragments of flint that were brought to their Eskimo ancestors by 
English whalers for use in the flintlock guns that were utilized in trading in former days. 
Such flints are reported to be common in the more recent kitchen middens of that part of the 
coast. 

Flint, or chert, is probably rare along the coast from Cape York to Smith Sound. Neither 
Mr. Ekblaw nor I saw any there, but the Eskimo told the former that it occurred at McCor¬ 
mick Bay and in the limestone beds of Northumberland Island. 



1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo 


133 



Fig. 12 (60.1-4402a-b). Stone Ulus, made from Local Diabase. Length of a, 13 cm. 



b 


Fig. 13 (60. l-4402d-e) 


Chipped Stones: a. Slate; b, Diabase. 


Length of a, 6 cm 











134 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


in the shape of the slot. It is not clear, therefore, what may be the relation 
between these evidences of iron-bladed ulus and the more primitive stone 
ulus just described. Of course, several explanations suggest themselves. 
As for instance, the mere accidental use of stone implements in case of need 
and again that they are some of the last survivals of the period in which all 
such knives were stone. These, however, are purely speculative. 

A curious type of handle is shown in Fig. 16c. The specimen is in a very 
fragile condition, but it seems to have had a blade inserted in a groove at its 
lower edge, suggesting a ulu. On the other hand, the purpose of the exten¬ 
sion to the handle is not quite clear. There is a suspicion of a groove in the 

end of this extension, but as to that 
we cannot be certain. There is a 
small wooden object (Fig. 16b) which 
reminds one of certain modern ulu 
handles. Though the object here is 
but a toy, nevertheless it must be 
taken as positive evidence that the 
conception of this type of ulu handle 
was in- the mind of the maker. 

Finally, we have a singular haft in 
Fig. 15c the significance of which is 
not clear. It is a piece of antler, fol¬ 
lowing somewhat the natural contour 
of the material, but nevertheless so 
shaped as to suggest its being held in 
the hand by the thumb and index fin¬ 
ger on one side and the three fingers on the other. The peculiar curved 
notch in the end shows a high polish from wear, as if the index finger were 
held there in use. On the other hand, the extended end of the instrument is 
sharpened almost to a chisel edge and this also shows signs of wear. A large 
section of the lower edge has been cut with a deep groove for the insertion 
of a blade. This is about 8 cm. in length and has an average width of 3 mm. 
This again suggests an iron blade of some sort, but what may have been the 
function of this peculiar implement we are unable to suggest. 

A number of ulu handles were picked up at other sites visited by the 
Expedition, but none of them present important differences from those 
described here or elsewhere. We do miss in Comer’s Midden the ulu handle 
made of two pieces, a form described by Boas from Southampton Island 1 



Fig. 14 (60.1—4402c). Part of Ulu 

Blade, Slate. Length, 6.5 cm. 


1 Boas, ibid., 430, Fig. 231; also Kroeber, A. L., “The Eskimo of Smith Sound’ 
American Museum of Natural History, vol. 12, art. 21, 1900), Fig. 28. 


( Bulletin , 





1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


135 






Fig. 15 (60.1-4405a-c). Ulu Handles. Length of a, 9 cm. 


























































































136 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 



Fig. 16 (60.1-4480, 4405d, 4405e). Ulu and other Knife Handles. Length of a, 17 cm 





































1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


137 


in which the heavy ridged handle, as in our Fig. 15a, is a separate piece and 
attached to the lower more slender shaft by thongs. Parts of such speci¬ 
mens were found at several sites in the vicinity of Etah, and at Parker Snow 
Bay, but none, as stated before, were found in Comer’s Midden. 

We frequently see in Eskimo collections a type of woman’s knife figured 
by Porsild 1 which has a metal blade with a long narrow tang to the top of 
which is attached a cylindrical piece of ivory or bone. No such pieces of 
ivory or bone were found in any of our sites. However, there are some 
modern examples of metal knives picked up from the surface having such 
handles. One may suspect, therefore, that this type is particularly recent 
in West Greenland. 


Whetstones. 

Two pieces of sandstone regularly cut and rectangular in cross-section 
were found. Both had rubbed surfaces as if used for whetting metal tools. 


Spoke Shaves. 

From Comer’s Midden we have one specimen (60.1-4409) which may 
be characterized as a spoke shave. What we have, as in other cases, is 
simply a haft minus the blade. This piece is of antler about 12 cm. in length 
and slightly curved. In the middle of one edge is a very narrow slot about 
3 cm. long, presumably for a metal blade. This object is particularly well- 
preserved and comes apparently from the surface. 


Snow Knives. 

Comer’s Midden returned a large series of snow knives, though most of 
them are broken. Such knives have been thoroughly discussed by Thom¬ 
sen. 2 It appears from this discussion that such knives have not heretofore 
been returned from West Greenland, though since they occur around Hud¬ 
son Bay and Cumberland Sound as well as in East Greenland, their present 
appearance in Northwest Greenland was to be expected. All those from 
Comer’s Midden seem to be of a slightly different type from those found in 


i Porsild, Morten P., “Studies on the Material Culture of the Eskimo in West Green¬ 
land” ( Meddelelser om Grinland, vol. 51, Copenhagen, 1915), 212, Pig. 47. 

* Thomsen, ibid., 421-424. 



138 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII 





Fig. 17 (60.1-4403a-cl). Snow Knives. Length of a, 18.5 cm. 










1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


139 


East Greenland. The difference is chiefly in the prominence of the upper 
shoulder or guard which is a notch similar to the lower shoulder in East 
Greenland snow knives, but, as will be seen from the illustration of speci¬ 
mens from Comer’s Midden, the upper part is usually formed by a sharp 
curve in the handle. Two of the knives, however, as in Fig. 18a, have a 
small prominence on the back to serve as a guard. Yet, with these slight 




Fig. 18 (60. l-4403e—g). Snow Knives. Length of a, 18 cm. 


variations, we have in Comer’s Midden both types of knives described by 
Thomsen as characteristic of East Greenland. As previously stated, frag¬ 
ments of such knives were more frequent in Comer’s Midden than any other 
object. The fragments consisted of knobbed ends of handles, slivers and 
pieces of blades. All are of bone and some show exceedingly fine workman¬ 
ship. There are a few fragments of bone blades so nicely made and with 
such keen edges that their mere use for snow knives may be questioned. 















140 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

But since they are of the same material and since no other handles were 
found which seem to fit them, we may assume that they are parts of blades 
for knives of similar shape, if not actually parts of snow knives. 

As stated by Thomsen a simple straight knife of ivory is frequently used 
as an ice scraper for kayaks, both in Greenland and elsewhere. No ivory 
knives were found in Comer’s Midden, for, as stated elsewhere, ivory was 
exceedingly rare, but part of a bone knife was recovered which suggests this 
form (Fig. 18c). That the prevailing type of snow knife was not peculiar to 
Comer’s Midden was indicated by a precisely similar specimen from another 
site on North Star Bay. Again, from the sites at Etah we have several good 
examples of such knives. So far as their completeness permits, these are of 
the type of Fig. 17. All are of bone and greatly weathered, as if of consid¬ 
erable age. Of more frequent occurrence at the Etah sites is another type 
made of ivory, bone, and antler. This is long, slender, and sword-shaped. 1 
All are new, showing little or no weathering. This type does not appear in 
Comer’s Midden, though there is a single fragment of antler suggesting such 
a blade. However, this being the only possible example as opposed to the 
great number of the other type, the above noted difference still stands. 

It seems, therefore, that the type of snow knife from Comer’s Midden has 
slight individualities of its own, but is otherwise strictly comparable to those 
from East Greenland and Hudson Bay. Hence, they belong to the older 
substratum of Eskimo culture and presumably to the earliest period of 
occupation of Comer’s Midden and the Smith Sound district generally, being 
contemporaneous with the old type of iron-bladed knife previously described. 


The Adze. 

It is now clear that we are justified in assuming that the site known as 
Comer’s Midden was occupied as early as any yet known in Northwest 
Greenland. Hence, a full description of the collection made by Captain 
Comer is necessary. Unless otherwise stated, all the succeeding references 
to specimens will be from that site. 

First, we may note that five adze heads were secured, three of which 
are shown here (Fig. 19). Those figured have rather large sockets suggesting 
stone blades, but there is another that must have carried a thin metal blade. 
As may be inferred from previous statements, no pieces of stone suitable for 
these hafts were found, but there is nothing in the forms of the figured speci¬ 
mens to preclude the use of such stone blades. The forms of these adze 
hafts are quite uniform with those of East Greenland and again with those 


1 Kroeber, ibid.. Fig. 2. 



1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


141 



o 







Fig. 19 (60.1-4392a-c). Adze Heads. Length of a, 8 cm. 














































142 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


of Alaska. 1 Fig. 19c has three lateral holes for the binding cords and Fig. 
19a reminds one of Solberg’s type. 2 Fig. 19c is also precisely like a Baffin 
Land piece. 3 

No adze heads were found at the other sites visited. 


Ice Picks. 

To the butt end of a harpoon or lance shaft is usually attached a sharp¬ 
ened piece of bone or antler for breaking ice when necessary. A number of 
these were collected. All were joined to the shaft by a plain bevelled splice 
and two had holes through them as if for securing by lines. Similar objects 
have been noted for East Greenland and in fact all the Eskimo. 4 


Hammers. 

From many of the sites about Etah we have hammers made of antler, 
all in one piece, the hammer head being a large shaft and the handle a section 
of a tine. All of these show very little weathering and are therefore pre¬ 
sumably recent. Now, though there is an abundance of worked antler in 
the collections from Comer’s Midden, there are no examples of such hammers 
either complete or in fragments. On the other hand, we have the object 
shown in Fig. 20a, the ends of which show indications of use as a pounder. 
Its most interesting feature, however, is the series of perforations. From 
front to back is a large one measuring 6 cm. at the back and 4 cm. at the 
front in vertical section. Horizontally, it varies from 2 cm. at the back 
to one cm. at the front. From the size of this opening we assume that a 
handle was inserted. From the dimensions given it will be seen that the 
handle would have a wedge-shaped end similar to hafts used in our own 
tools. In addition to this perforation, there is a small lateral one passing 
from side to side through the middle of the larger. This has been formed 
by two drill holes, side by side, giving a perforation about 15 mm. by 8 mm. 
If we are correct in our assumption that a handle was inserted in the large 
perforation, then the smaller one is for the insertion of a pin or a lashing 
of some kind to hold the head of the hammer to its handle. While this may 
be an entirely erroneous interpretation of the specimen, its form, markings, 
etc., certainly suggest such use. 


1 Thalbitzer, William, “Ethnological Description of the Amdrup Collection from East 
Greenland’’ (Meddelelser orn Grinland, vol. 28, Copenhagen, 1909), 448. 

2 Solberg, ibid., Plate 7. 

3 Boas, ibid., 381, Fig. 175a. 

4 Thomsen, ibid., 393. 



1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


143 


Mattocks. 

A conspicuous object in the collection is the large heavy bone mattock 
with notched edges for lashing to a handle, a type familiar in collections from 



Fig. 20 (60.1-4393, 4395). A Maul Head and a Mattock. Length of a, 15 cm. 


Hudson Bay and Alaska. All of the specimens found here are precisely 
similar to those from the older sites in Southampton Island figured by Boas. 1 
Further description is, therefore, unnecessary. Similar mattocks were 


1 Boas, ibid., 416, Fig. 214. 















144 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

found at several of the sites in the vicinity of Etah. This fact, taken with 
the general wide distribution of this type to the west, indicates that it is one 
of the old and fundamental traits of Eskimo culture. 

There are, however, three pieces in the collection resembling the mattocks 
just described, except that they are shorter and bear, near the hafted end, 
a perforation large enough to take a handle. One of these is shown in 
Fig. 20b. As may be seen from the drawing there are two slight notches on 
each side opposite the perforation, as if for lashing. In fact, there is a slight 
groove on the surface of the specimen passing from these notches into the 
perforation and out, precisely like one should expect from the long wear 
of the lashing. The manner of attaching this mattock or ax blade, as the 
case may be, is not clear. The form of the perforation leads one to doubt 
that the handle was inserted according to the European method while the 
tracings of lashing suggest that the perforation is merely for the sake of 
inserting the binding elements. However, this does not dispose of the case, 
which must be set down as one of the problems of the future. 


Sledges. 

We find in the collection one cross tree for a sledge, similar to specimens 
figured by Boas, * 1 and several fragments of bone sled shoes. One of these is 
more than 40 cm. in length. All have the usual holes for attaching and one 
piece contains a number of wooden pegs still in place. The form, manner 
of drilling, etc., in these shoes does not differ from that described for Green¬ 
land sledges. 2 The materials in this case are bone. No ivory shoes were 
found in contrast to the collections from the other sites. Practically every 
site in the vicinity of Etah returned ivory sled shoes. These are of different 
pattern, varying from ten to twenty centimeters in length and joined one 
to the other by a pair of countersunk holes. All seem to be of recent manu¬ 
facture. The inference is, therefore, that the type of sled used by the people 
of Comer’s Midden, is the older West Greenland type, also found in East 
Greenland. 


Toggles. 

Toggles of the type used in dog harness were fairly numerous. The older, 
more weathered, specimens were of bone; the newer looking ones of ivory. 
There is nothing about them that is distinctive. 

No swivels were observed such as are found around Hudson Bay. 


1 Boas, Franz, “The Eskimo of Baffin Land and Hudson Bay” ( Bulletin , American 
Museum of Natural History, vol. 15, part 1, 1901), 38, Fig. 47. 

1 Thomsen, ibid., 412-417. 



1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


145 


Kayaks 

No parts of kayak frames or paddles were found, but there are a number 
of bone objects which seem to have served as paddle tips. Fig. 21 may be 
taken as the type. They vary in size from 8 to 1J cm. Several, including 
the smallest one, contained fragments of the wood to which they were 



Fig. 21 (60.1-4407). Tip for a Kayak Paddle. Length of a, 8 cm. 

attached. Thalbitzer, 1 illustrates the “model of an old-fashioned kayak 
paddle” which bears tips similar to the above. No such objects were found 
at the other sites. 


Bows and Arrows. 

No indications of bows were observed, except one doubtful fragment of 
bone which resembles a part of one of the plates in a compound bow. On 
the other hand, arrows are in evidence. First, as to arrow-heads, it may be 
stated that no metal or stone heads were found, nor do any of the foreshafts 
show signs of having carried such points. All of the heads found are of 
antler or bone and complete in themselves. All have pointed tangs for 
insertion in the shaft bearing lateral spurs in pairs, but not placed opposite 
each other. As stated by Porsild and others, arrow-heads of this type from 


1 Thalbitzer, Amassalik Eskimo , 386, Fig. 91. 





146 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


West and South Greenland often bear threads for screwing into the shaft. 
The Danish school of ethnologists have assumed that the lateral spurs 
occurring on the other specimens found in Greenland are rudiments of this 
same screw thread. It seems, however, more likely that the screw thread 
is a modern innovation suggested probably by European models, while since 
we find the spurs distributed entirely across the continent to Alaska we may 
assume this to be the older form and that it is not necessarily related to the 
threaded tang. 1 

As to form, the bone heads from this collection resemble the two main 
Greenland types as enumerated by Thomsen 2 one with a long oval blade, 
the other with a single barb at one side. Though on Greenland heads of this 
character there are often several barbs, all the specimens from this site have 
but one. No indications of property marks, such as are numerous on West¬ 
ern Eskimo specimens, came to notice. There were, however, one or two 
slight attempts at decoration by incised lines. 

Blunt heads for bird arrows were rather numerous, made both of wood 
and bone. Some were rather large and heavy. Since in almost every case 
the tangs or other attachments have been broken away, it is not clear how 
they were fastened to the shaft. There is, however, one complete specimen 
which indicates that the method was by splicing, a trait quite characteristic 
of Hudson Bay. This point is of some interest since when the Smith Sound 
Eskimo were met by Ross in 1818, the bow and arrow were absent, but are 
known to have been introduced later by Cumberland Sound Eskimo whence 
their use was common for a short period. According to Thomsen, all the 
arrow-heads of this period were joined to the shaft by the oblique form of 
splicing, which is, of course, the method employed by the Eskimo of Cumber¬ 
land Sound and Hudson Bay. 

It is interesting to note that our collections from the vicinity of Etah 
contain few arrow-heads and such as there are have been spliced in the 
above manner. One may infer, therefore, that they belong to this period 
of recent contact with the Western Eskimo. Hence, the arrow-heads from 
Comer’s Midden and North Star Bay belong to a period when such imple¬ 
ments were in use in Northwest Greenland. Further, since something of 
the same kind occurs in the old collections from Northeast Greenland and 
it is the form of arrow-head distributed from Hudson Bay to Alaska, and is 
also not entirely absent from collections around Hudson Bay and Cumber¬ 
land Sound, we must consider its presence in Comer’s Midden an indication 


1 Porsild, Morten P., “The Principle of the Screw in the Technique of the Eskimo” 
(American Anthropologist, N. S. vol. 17, no. 1, 1915); Laufer, Berthold, “The Eskimo Screw 
as a Culture-Historical Problem” ( American Anthropologist, N. S., vol. 17, no. 2, 1915 ). 

2 Thomsen, ibid., 404-405. 



1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


147 


that the people occupying this site belonged to the older period of Greenland 
history. 

In this connection it may be noted that there is one bone head for a 
metal blade which has the form of a figure in Thalbitzer. 1 It is very large 
for an arrow as is the one cited above. 


Bird and Fish Spears. 


A number of barbed pieces of various sizes, made of bone and antler, 
such as are used on bird spears and fish spears, were found. There is 
nothing about them that differs in any particular from those already 
described for Greenland and elsewhere. There are, how¬ 
ever, two kinds of objects in the collection, all made of 
wood, which suggest a use as barbs for some kind of spear, 
but which we have not yet been able to identify. One of 
these is shown in Fig. 22. Precisely similar specimens 
were picked up at various places on the shore of North 
Star Bay and others from old house sites near Etah. 

They average about 6 cm. in length. In each case a por¬ 
tion of the base has been mortised out so as to form a 
shoulder, apparently for some kind of mounting. The 
remainder is notched as if for a binding cord. No objects 
of this kind have come to our attention, but they remind 
us of objects figured by Boas 2 which though of bone are 
of approximately the same size and of somewhat the same 
form. Professor Boas was unable to find any explanation 
for these, but Waterman 3 found in a later collection from 
old house sites at Lyons Inlet, Hudson Bay, made by Comer in 1910, the 
mountings for these barbs, suggesting that they were in fact barbs for fish 
spears. As such, they differ radically from the barbs upon fish spears found 
in collections from living Eskimo. The method of attaching the object in 
Fig. 22 differs somewhat from that employed for the bone and ivory barbs 
noted by Waterman, but this may be due to the fact that they are of wood. 
Anyway, it seems*certain that the wooden objects we have noted are similar 
barbs for fish spears. A number of the sites near Etah returned fragments 
of fish spear heads in which the barb was thrust through the side strip 


Fig. 22 (60.1- 
4406a). Wooden 
Barb for a Fish 
Spear. Length, 
5.5 cm. 


1 Thalbitzer, Meddelelser om Grtfnland^ vol. 28, 366. 

2 Boas, part 2, 391, Fig. 185. 

3 This series, vol. 4, part 2, 301. 






148 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

precisely as observed upon spears in collections from the living Eskimo. 
No such parts were found in the midden where the above-noted wooden 
barbs appeared, nor did they occur in other sites yielding this same wooden 
barb. All this is consistent with the view that the specimens figured are 
barbs for fish spears. 

The second problematical object, numerous examples of which were 
found in Comer’s Midden and occasional examples at other sites near Etah, 



Fig. 23 (60.1-6691, 4406b, 4406c). Gull Hooks, a, Hudson Bay; b and c, Comer’s 
Midden. Length of a, 10.5 cm. 

is shown in Fig. 23b. They average about 12 cm. in length and are, with¬ 
out exception, made of wood. They are rather flat, though sometimes 
approaching a circular cross-section, and obliquely across the widest part 
is a groove of considerable depth. The tapering end is usually provided with 
a knob or, in some cases a kind of spur, while the opposite end is brought 
to a blunt point. 

The only objects suggesting these are figured by Thomsen 1 as prongs 


1 Thomsen, Plate 17. 


























1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


149 


for fish spears. From the measurements given, they are slightly longer than 
the objects here described, though nothing is said of the oblique groove 
across their body. Otherwise, they have the form and character of the 
objects we are considering. Thomsen regards his specimens as peculiar 
since there have not come to his knowledge any prongs for fish or other spears 
that were made of wood. We hesitate to base any conclusion upon the 
peculiar resemblance between these objects from East Greenland and from 
Northwest Greenland, but if it should turn out that they had a similar use, 
we shall have one of the most suggestive parallels yet brought to notice. 

On the other hand, Captain Comer took from a house ruin south of Wager 
River, west of Hudson Bay, the object shown in Fig. 23a. This one had a 
bone barb in the groove where it fits so snugly that it cannot be pulled out 
easily. This adds great interest to these objects since there can be no doubt 
as to the identity of this form with those from North Star Bay. 

As to the use of this object, we are in doubt. It has been suggested that 
it is a fish hook, but Captain Comer was told by natives at Etah that it was 
an implement for taking gulls. The wood causes the hook to float and, if 
properly baited, will be gulped by a gull. 

Now, though we may be in some doubt as to the function of the two kinds 
of objects just described, the significance of their distribution is clear. For 
the second (Fig. 23), we have identity between West Hudson Bay and 
Northwest Greenland and probable identity with Northeast Greenland. 
For the first (Fig. 22), we have a close similarity between West Hudson Bay 
and Northwest Greenland. All are absent in collections from the living 
Eskimo. The only fish spear reported that suggests the first form of barb, 
is one from Alaska figured by Nelson. 1 We have then another fine example 
of widespread identity in the earlier levels of Eskimo culture. 


Harpoons. 

There are a large number of harpoon heads in the collection. All are 
of two general types, those represented by Fig. 24 and the more familiar 
type of harpoon which differs from the preceding in that the foreshaft rests 
in a closed socket. It will be noted that in the illustrated specimen the end 
of the foreshaft rests in an open socket held in place by lashing. A compari¬ 
son of this type with specimens from old sites in Southampton Island shows 
a remarkable similarity. There is, however, one point of difference. A 


1 Nelson, E. W., “The Eskimo about Bering Strait” ( Eighteenth Annual Report, Bureau 
of American Ethnology, part 1, Washington, 1896), 150, Fig. 42 and Plate 67. 



150 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


number of Southampton Island specimens have lateral barbs of the original 
material, a feature also found in some East Greenland and West Greenland 
harpoon heads. No such barbs are found on any of the heads at Comer’s 
Midden, though a few examples were picked up near Etah. As will be 
noted in the illustration, the harpoons of the first type fall into two groups, 
those having a point of bone, or in which the harpoon is made of a single 
piece, and those having detachable points of slate or metal. As may be 
inferred from previous statements, no stone or metal points were found; 
yet, the form of the groove for the point in most of these specimens suggests 
metal blades. All of the heads of the second type, none of which are figured 
here, had detachable points, presumably of metal. Their end barbs are of 
two forms, a single point, as in case of the other type (Fig. 24a) and a double 



Fig. 24 (60.1-4416, 4430, 4418a-b). Harpoon Heads of Bone. Length of a, 8.2 cm. 


or notched point such as is frequent on specimens from Hudson Bay and 
recent specimens from Smith Sound and elsewhere. For both types the 
material is almost universally bone. The few ivory heads returned are 
reasonably new and according to Captain Comer’s notes were found near 
the surface. They are also almost without exception found among those 
of the second type. 

It is generally assumed that the harpoon heads with open sockets, as in 
Fig. 24, are older than those with closed sockets. One reason for this infer¬ 
ence is that this type prevails in the old sites at Southampton Island. This 
form is not conspicuous in collections from other parts of Greenland, har¬ 
poon heads here being almost exclusively those of the second, or more recent 
type. Whatever else this may signify, it is consistent with the assumption 








1918.] 


Wissler , Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


151 


that the lower levels of Comer’s Midden are contemporaneous with the older 
sites at Southampton Island. Nevertheless, both types of harpoon occur 
in the Midden with equal frequency, so that it may be inferred that the 
two types were to some extent contemporaneous; but even in that case it 
must be assumed that the culture at Comer’s Midden is reasonably old or, 
at least, old enough to show definite survivals of the older antecedent culture. 

All of the heads so far considered are of a size to suggest their use for 
seals or similar animals. There is, however, one fragment of a much larger 
harpoon head which must have been for whaling. Unfortunately, we have 
only a portion of a specimen, but from this it appears to belong to our second 
type, those having a closed socket and a short double-pointed end barb. 
It differs from whale harpoons from western North America in the short¬ 
ness, or stubbiness, of the end barbs, but in this respect resembles its com¬ 
panion sealing heads. 

A few examples of retrieving points for darts or lances may be noted. 
These, without exception, are barbed on one side only and in most cases 
have two line holes. However, their forms are too much like the generalized 
Eskimo type to warrant a comparative statement. 

A number of foreshafts and fragments of the same were observed, but 
these are of the ordinary type figured in my discussion of the Stefansson 
collection. 1 A few sockets for the same were observed. There were no 
examples of the familiar Greenland type of joint in which a kind of tenon fits 
into the socket on the shoulder of the shaft. Examples of this were picked 
up at some of the Etah sites, but in every case lacked weathering and other 
marks of age. From the nature of the end sockets, we infer that the shafts 
were of wood, though no pieces of suitable size were recovered. Also the 
socket piece slipped over the end of the shaft and was not fastened by a tang 
or oblique splice. 

There were no throwing boards. Neither were there any examples of 
the peculiar hinged harpoon head observed in Greenland collections. 
Among other missing objects may be mentioned the sealing stool. 


Lamps and Kettles. 

Though there are many fragments of steatite vessels, these are not 
sufficiently complete to give us an idea of the original form. There is, how¬ 
ever, a miniature lamp which is of the precise Smith Sound pattern as de¬ 
scribed by Boas. 2 Yet,' the most interesting feature is a large stone slab 


1 This series, vol. 14, part 2, 428, Fig. 44. 

2 Boas, part 2, 440-441. 




152 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


with ridges of cement around the edges, suggesting a lamp of the Southamp¬ 
ton Island type. The shape of this piece also suggests the Southampton 
Island lamps. We may therefore, feel reasonably certain that this same 
type of built up lamp was known to the inhabitants of Comer’s Midden. 
As to the type of kettle, we are not clear, though the fragments would indi¬ 
cate round or oval forms. 


Household Utensils. 

Under this head are several fragments of small horn spoons, portions of 
wooden spoons, and fragments of vessels of wood. Unfortunately, the 
wooden objects are too fragile to make their forms clear. 

There is also an example of the coopered tub, or vessel, represented by 
two incomplete staves. The groove for the bottom is intact and carries 
one or two wooden pins with which the attachment was made. There are 
also a number of bottoms for similar vessels in more or less complete condi¬ 
tion, indicating that such tubs were circular in cross-section. Objects of 
this kind have been described both for West and East Greenland so that no 
further comment is necessary. 


Miscellaneous Objects. 

Among the many other objects deserving notice are numerous rims of 
drums or buckets, highly perforated by small drill holes. These are particu¬ 
larly numerous in the collections from Etah. 

There are something over fifty pieces of w T orked wood. Most of these 
are mere fragments or discarded pieces, but among them we find a number 
of human figures of the usual conventional form. A few similar figures of 
ivory were found on the surface of the Midden. So far as can be observed, 
there is nothing in their characteristics to differentiate them from other 
Eskimo carvings in Greenland. 

There are a few examples of drum handles and one possible fragment 
belonging to a cup-and-ball game. 

Among the highly problematical objects are a few curious bracket-like 
forms of a size sufficient to hold a harpoon or lance shaft, but as we have 
seen nothing like these in any other collections and the ones observed seem 
to be unfinished objects, no further comment is necessary. 


1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


153 


Work in Whalebone. 

This completes the description of the most important objects in Comer’s 
Midden with the exception of examples of work in whalebone. These are 
strikingly numerous and deserve to be described in some detail. For one 
thing, we have many fragments of notched and looped strands of whalebone, 
suggesting nets. As to the use of a whalebone net for seals or other game in 
West Greenland, we have no very definite knowledge. Thalbitzer and 
Porsild, however, are responsible for the statement that nets of whalebone 
were formerly in use in Greenland. It is certain that none have been used 
for many years. Of course, we cannot be sure that these fragments are parts 
of nets, but the manner of the knots makes it strongly probable. Another 
interesting object is what seems to be a drying rack formed by bending 
strands of whalebone and tying as shown in Fig. 25. Several examples of 
this were dug up. 

There is one large piece of whalebone the size and shape of a sled shoe 
and perforated in a similar manner. Whether this is a correct interpretation 
of its use we cannot say. 

Fig. 27 is a large knife-like object 42 cm. in length. According to Mur¬ 
doch, the natives of Alaska have used whalebone; for knives. Since the 
material will take a keen edge it may be inferred that the object shown here 
was used as a knife. 

Fig. 28 is peculiar in that it has a perforation near the larger end. It is 
also notched as if for wrapping. As to its use, we have no conjecture. 

Fig. 29 is evidently a toggle. Figs. 26a and 26c, are of unknown use. 
Among the many other objects may be mentioned two top disks, a carving 
representing a fish, part of a knife similar to the figured specimen and a nail, 
or skewer-like object, reminding one of the ivory pins used for closing 
w r ounds in seals. Lastly, in Fig. 26b we have a handle of an implement, 
probably a knife, which seems to have been made in imitation of an animal 
head. 

Judging by the meager accounts of work in whalebone, this collection is 
somewhat unique. There was a great deal more in such a fragmentary 
condition that it could not be recovered. According to Captain Comer’s 
observation, the greater part came from the lowest levels of the deposit, 
presumably belonging to the earliest period of occupation at this particular 
site. All of the pieces in the collection are greatly frayed and shredded, 
making it very difficult to do more than determine their general outlines; 
nevertheless, what remains shows great technical skill as, in fact, do all the 
objects from this deposit. 


154 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 




Fig. 26 (60.1-4401, 4455, 4437). Objects of Whalebone. Length of a, 13.5 cm. 

















































































1918 .] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


155 



Fig. 27. 


Fig. 28. 


Fig. 27 (60.1-4440). A Knife of Whalebone. Length, 42 cm. 

Fig. 28 (60.1—4441). Unidentified Object of Whalebone. Length, 61 cm. 

























156 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

A few examples of whalebone were collected near Etah, the most con¬ 
spicuous being an implement handle larger than, but otherwise similar to 
Fig. 26b. 

As noted before, a large percentage of the objects from Comer s site are 
made of whalebone; this prominence of whalebone artifacts in contrast 
with the rarity of ivory, suggests that whaling was an important feature of 
the old Eskimo culture at North Star Bay. 




Fig. 29 (60.1-4456). Toggle of Whalebone. Length, 4 cm. 
Fig. 30 (60.1-5092). A Lance Head. Length, 17.5 cm. 


Stone and Bone Points Wanting. 

When we consider the time and care given to the search for sites and 
the number examined, it is difficult to escape the conviction that in their 
totality they present about all that is to be expected in future exploration. 
Hence, the rarity of stone and bone points indicates a metal culture con¬ 
temporaneous with the period of occupation. Yet, this does not agree with 







1918 .] 


Wissler , Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


157 


the evidence for a stone age around Disko Bay and southward. If the above 
conclusion stands, then we must assume that the Eskimo occupation of 
North Star Bay and the Etah district was relatively recent. We have 
searched all parts of the collection carefully for even the merest fragments 
of bone points. The only ones in evidence are a few one-piece harpoon 
heads with points of the original material. The only example of what may 
be considered a bone lance or spear head is Fig. 30 from near Etah, and this 
is of such unusual form that its significance is not clear. 1 


Decorated Objects. 

Ornamentation by incision or perforation was conspicuously absent 
in the midden. In fact, it is rare in all the collections since but three such 



Fig. 31 (60.1-4675, 4678, 4701). Decorated Ivory Carvings, Etah. Length of a, 32 cm. 


i As to the finding of this specimen Mr. MacMillan writes as follows:— It was found at 
an old igloo at Etah. All the old men agreed that it was a killing iron used in the capture 
of seal and walrus before the advent of iron. 



















158 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

objects were returned and these are of doubtful age. As previously stated, 
there are some examples of carving; from the midden there are eight human 
figures in wood and one surface piece, of ivory. Of other forms, there are 
no traces, except some new looking ivory figures, coming from the top of the 
deposit and a probable fish in whalebone. This, with the embellishment of 
Fig. 26b, exhausts the list. The other old sites at North Star Bay yielded 
no examples whatever. 

On the other hand, some of the Etah sites gave a fair return in carvings, 
some in wood, but mostly in ivory. Here animal forms prevail in contrast 
to the preceding. The finish and technique is equal to that observed in 
modern collections from the natives of the vicinity. Also, the technique 
of the few midden carvings is equally high. 

Turning now to decorated objects, the three previously mentioned were 
found in house ruins near Etah (Fig. 31a-c). Figs, h and c have been embel¬ 
lished by drilling, or dotting. Fig. h presents a technique precisely compar¬ 
able to objects from Baffin Land. Fig. a is different since it presents notches 
in series, in two planes. As just stated, these objects are of ivory and with¬ 
out indications of great age and there is nothing in their appearance that is 
inconsistent with the idea that they were made within ten years. 

In conclusion, we may note that decorated objects are absent from all 
parts of Comer’s Midden and apparently from all the older sites examined 
by the expedition. This is also true of the Alaskan sites explored by the 
Stefansson-Anderson Expedition. It is fair, therefore, to raise the question 
as to the place of such art in Eskimo chronology. 


House Plans. 

No special comment need be made on Captain Comer’s sketches of 
house plans as shown by the ruins he excavated. The figures give the type. 
All were of the form designated by Danish writers as pear-shaped. The 
double houses are evidently what Steensby’s informant had in mind when 
she made the sketches appearing in his excellent paper on the Polar, or 
Smith Sound Eskimo. 1 A comparison of the other illustrations in this book 
with these plans of Comer will make clear that all these ruins were of the 
surviving type of stone and turf house. 

Steensby has rather comprehensively reviewed the general distribution 
of Eskimo house types, 2 placing the center for the pear-shaped house at 


1 Steensby, H. P., “Contributions to the Ethnology and Anthropogeography of the 
Polar Eskimos’’ ( Meddelelser om Grtfnland, vol. 34, Copenhagen, 1910), 323. 

2 Steensby, H. P., “An Anthropogeographical Study of the Origin of Eskimo Culture” 
(Meddelelser om Gr</mland, vol. 53, Copenhagen, 1916), 187-203. 



1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


159 


Smith Sound. Its origin he considers recent, the more primitive and more 
widely distributed type being circular in groundplan, traces of which he 
thinks are to be found in Greenland. Comer did note a few such traces, 
but digging in them brought to light bottle glass and other traces of Euro¬ 
pean trade. In his diary, he interprets these as sites for snowhouses or 



Fig. 32. Groundplans of Old Houses. 


mere summer shelters. One or two such structures were found super¬ 
imposed on ruins of the pear-shaped type. Thus, so far as Comer’s obser¬ 
vations go, the pear-shaped type is as old as any observed at North Star 
Bay or Etah. It appears, therefore, that so far as our field data go, this 
was the type of house at the time of first occupation. 














160 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


Relation of Comer’s Midden to Other Sites. 

Though we have continually referred to the finds from other sites, we 
have so emphasized those from Comer’s Midden that a specific statement 
seems justifiable. The collections from North Star Bay, Saunders Island, 
and Parker Snow Bay contain many new objects, which show by their 
forms that they are of recent origin. Nevertheless, some house sites did 
yield objects suggesting the varieties of the midden. The same statements 
will apply to the collections from Etah. Nothing was found that belonged 
to a different level of culture from that of the midden, except that which 
clearly came from the historic Eskimo. 

The historic inhabitants are the Polar Eskimo. They use the same type 
of house as the people of the midden and since their culture is otherwise very 
much the same, it is more probable than not, that we are dealing with the 
archaeology of the Polar Eskimo, whose descendants are still on the site 
and still adding to the midden. 

We cannot clearly understand the position of the Polar Eskimo as a 
group unless we take into consideration the entire distribution of the Eskimo. 
The general tendency of the Eskimo has been toward a migratory form of life. 
In the ceaseless shiftings of his residence he has at one time and another 
occupied the entire Arctic coast line, as an examination of the accompanying 
map will show. This map shows the approximate location of Eskimo settle¬ 
ments reported within the past twenty-five years. The data for all the terri¬ 
tory east of 100°, except that visited by the members of the Expedition, 
was taken from the maps of Thalbitzer 1 and Steensby. 2 For the Arctic 
coast of Canada the reports of the Stefansson expeditions were utilized. 
The Alaskan sites were taken from many sources, but the National Geo¬ 
graphic Magazine Map of 1914 was used as a check. The stippled area 
represents the total distribution of the Eskimo since their appearance on 
the coast, as indicated by the ruins of former villages and other evidences 
of Eskimo culture. In none of these particulars is it possible to attain a 
high degree of accuracy, but the relative distribution of the recent Eskimo 
population can be safely inferred. 

The census of 1910 returned 14,087 Eskimo in Alaska, and the estimated 
number in Greenland is 11,790. The Canadian estimate is given as 1,300 


1 Thalbitzer, W., “A Phonetical Study of the Eskimo Language, based on Observations 
made on a Journey in North Greenland 1900-1901 ” (Meddelelser om Grfinland, vol. 31, Copen¬ 
hagen, 1904). 

2 Steensby, H. P., “An Anthropological Study of the Origin of Eskimo Culture” ( Saer- 
tryk af Meddelelser om Grinland, vol. 53, Copenhagen, 1916). 



1918.] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


161 


for Labrador and 3,447 for the coast. Tabulating the population estimates 
and the number of settlements indicated on the map, we have the follow¬ 
ing:— 



Number of 
Settlements 

Population 

Alaska (1910) 

112 

14,087 

Greenland (1904) 

69 

11,790 

Labrador (1915) 

7 

1,300 

Canada (1915) 

81 

3,447 

Siberia (1907) 

12 

1,200 


Total population 

31,824 


The settlements do not count as separate villages and camps, but rather 
as localized groups of villages. They cannot be given with great accuracy, 
yet their gross distribution is a safe index to the clustering of the population. 
As the data stand the most compact settlements are in Greenland and 
Labrador, while the least dense are those of the Canadian coast. 

Since the large dots on this map represent the locations of villages and 
camps in recent years, they give us the approximate extent and density of 
Eskimo population during the past half century. But this does not give 
an adequate idea of the territory covered during the whole period of Eskimo 
occupation. This we have indicated by the stippled coast belt. While we 
do not maintain that every square mile of this territory was at some time 
or other lived upon by Eskimo, the reports of travelers make it probable that 
one cannot travel many miles in any direction within these limits without 
encountering traces of this culture. The preceding pages show the archae¬ 
ological richness of the regions occupied by the Polar Eskimo, but this is 
strictly comparable to the experiences of Danish explorers in all parts of 
Greenland. Again, in the west, Captain Comer at Hudson Bay and 
Stefansson still further west were continually meeting with traces of former 
inhabitants. That this should be the case is not strange, for the Eskimo 
must always keep to the coast for winter sealing. His expansion was, there¬ 
fore, linear only. 

The position of the Polar Eskimo is now clearer. While in recent years 
they stand alone as the most northerly outpost, either their immediate 
ancestors or some other group occupied successively the whole of the north 
coast. That their present position represents a great shrinkage of popula¬ 
tion may be doubted; it is more likely a matter of shifting habitation. But 
the whole of Greenland is marginal and so seems most likely to have received 
its Eskimo population but recently. 

The most acceptable theory of Eskimo origin is that they expanded from 
a parent group in the Arctic Archipelago. 1 In any case, no great antiquity 


i Steensby, Origin of the Eskimo Culture, 204-218. 




162 


Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 


can be assigned to their expansion into Greenland. Danish authorities are 
in general agreement that the occupation of West Greenland did not begin 
earlier than 1200 A.D. and there is some reason to believe that it was 1400 
A.D. before they had a firm footing there. How long the shores of Smith 
Sound and other parts of Northwest Greenland have been peopled is not 
known. We now know it to be the home of a small group of Eskimo, first, 
noted by John Ross in 1818. They were then and are now the most north¬ 
erly settlement, on which account the Danes call them Polar Eskimo. 
Peary’s repeated efforts to reach the Pole from this side brought these people 
to notice, making them the most widely known of any. Their history and 
cultural position have been carefully presented by Steensby. 1 At one period 
of their known career, they seem to have discarded the bow and the kayak, 
but later took them up again. In culture, they are nearer the Central 
Eskimo than West or South Greenland; in fact, they are so near the former 
in contrast to the latter, that we must suspect their recent arrival from the 
Arctic Archipelago. Yet, the geographical conditions are peculiar, since 
the Melville Bay district is uninhabitable in winter, thus cutting easy 
communication between the home of the Polar Eskimo and the northern 
outpost of the West Greenland Eskimo. This, of itself, might account for 
the closer parallels with Central culture. It is also one of the reasons for 
taking the close resemblances to Northeast Greenland culture as indicating 
a movement around the north shore. It may be then, that we are not 
justified in assuming the late arrival of Eskimo in Northwest Greenland, but 
that they retained the typical culture longer because less marginal. Yet, 
on general grounds, the whole movement into Greenland seems recent, so 
recent that the appearance of iron in the culture of these Eskimo is not 
surprising. 


General Discussion. 

In summarizing the preceding pages one of the first points to strike the 
reader is the absence from Comer’s Midden of certain well-known objects; 
for example, needle cases, skin-working tools, bows for drills, nozzles for 
floats, throwing sticks, blubber pounders, bird bolas, goggles and eye shades, 
sealing stools, etc. It may be inferred that this indicates their absence in 
the culture of North Star Bay, but such a conclusion is scarcely warranted 
since only a small section of the accumulated camp refuse was dug out and 
furthermore, it is chiefly the unusable fragments of things that we find. 
Thus, it seems unwise to assume that when a single object is wanting in the 


1 Steensby, ibid., 268 et seq. 



1918] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


163 


collection made, its use was unknown to the people in question. Yet, this 
objection would not apply to the case of ivory as a material, for if ivory was 
worked at all, slivers and fragments must certainly find their way into the 
debris in proportion to their relative number, unless it should be that a 
taboo against casting them out so near the sea operated in this case. Since 
ivory occurs scarcely at all in the lower parts of the heap and objects usually 
made of ivory are here made of bone and antler, such a possibility may be 
disregarded. Yet, except with respect to materials, negative evidence as 
to the use of specific objects should be disregarded. Again, some of these 
missing objects do occur at some of the Etah sites as stated under the 
proper heads. Since there is no evidence that some of these were not con¬ 
temporaneous with the lowest layers of Comer’s site, we may assume their 
absence at the latter as accidental. In view of these conditions, the im¬ 
portant points in this discussion will arise from comparative studies. 

In the preceding descriptions of objects found in Comer’s Midden appear 
certain similarities to the older sites at Hudson Bay and again in Northeast 
Greenland. These similarities also hold, but to a less degree, for many of 
the sites examined around Etah. The collections made from all sites 
except Comer’s Midden were in the main from old long-abandoned house 
sites. Naturally, mixed with them is surface material of more recent date, 
but this can be separated out without much difficulty and we have seen a 
strong tendency for this older Etah material to parallel the older levels of 
the stratified site discovered by Captain Comer. We assume, therefore, 
that all the older sites explored by this expedition are roughly contem¬ 
poraneous. 

As to their age, we must first of all consider the fact that stone tools are 
conspicuously absent and that signs of metal were in evidence at every 
turn, though but the faintest traces of iron and copper were met with. 
Nevertheless, in the older part of Comer’s Midden, and even at certain 
obviously old sites near Etah we find a kind of knife haft, identical in form 
with the old stone age knife of Southampton Island, yet which must have 
carried iron blades. Since knives of this form were observed by early 
visitors to Smith Sound, the metal for which was assumed to be of meteoric 
origin, we are confronted with the possibility of considerable age. Un¬ 
fortunately, close stratigraphic studies of Comer’s site were not made, but 
it appears that the knives using iron of this character are from the lowest 
levels of the deposit. Higher up were those of a more recent type: viz., a 
long strip of iron set in a groove. The latter belong to the historic period 
when traders began to supply the Eskimo of Greenland with iron and other 
objects. As to the age of the former, we can but speculate. Yet, there is 
no reason for assuming a great interval. For aught we know, all of the sites 


164 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII, 

examined by the expedition are less than four hundred years old, but in that 
case some of them must certainly belong to the first century of that period. 
Naturally, if meteoric iron was in general use this period can be increased 
by several centuries. 

Scandinavian authorities 1 on the Eskimo have carefully considered the 
significance of these facts. On the whole, they are rather puzzling, for we 
have on the one hand every indication of a respectable age and extensive¬ 
ness for this iron culture and on the other, no satisfactory data as to native 
sources of supply. That some meteoric iron was used is considered certain, 
but that all of the older tools in the collections described here and similar 
ones in Scandinavian museums could have been supplied from meteoric 
sources is difficult to believe. Danish authorities have sought other sources 
and have put forth claims for telluric iron . 2 This, if substantiated, would 
put a new face upon the whole problem, for then there could be no objection 
to accepting the other consistent evidences of age attached to the sites in 
question. The use of iron would then be a natural development out of the 
stone age of Eskimo culture, influenced no doubt by their experience with 
copper west of Hudson Bay. Yet, Dr. E. O. Hovey, a geologist of the expedi¬ 
tion, denies the presence of telluric iron in the Cape York-Smith Sound 
region, and makes it reasonably certain that the iron first used by the Polar 
Eskimo was of meteoric origin. He has been kind enough to contribute the 
following review of the case. 


The Use of Meteoric Iron by the Polar Eskimo — Dr. E. O. Hovey. 

The so-called Cape York or Smith Sound tribe of Eskimo were discovered by 
Captain John Ross, R. N., in 1818 when he made what was practically a pioneer 
voyage across Melville Bay in quest of the Northwest Passage. He reported that 
these people whose very existence had not been suspected before except through the 
vague traditions of the Eskimo of southern Greenland, were using knives and har¬ 
poon points edged with bits of iron. Ross gathered from the natives that the metal 
had been obtained from a locality on the shore of Melville Bay just north of and 
near Bushnan Island. One of them, Meigack (My-ahq?) by name told him that the 
iron “was found in the mountain before mentioned; that it was in several large masses, 
of which one in particular, which was harder than the rest, was a part of the moun¬ 
tain; that the others were in large pieces above ground and not of so hard nature; 
that they [the people] cut it off with a hard stone, and then beat it flat into pieces of the 
size of a sixpence, but of an oval shape.” 3 The locality being some twenty-five miles 
back on the route which had been traversed, Ross was unable to visit it on account of 
the demands of his voyage, but he secured some of the knives, one of which, with a 


A Thalbitzer, 483-492; Thomsen, 430-433; Solberg, 20-21, 54. 

2 Thalbitzer, 489. 

3 John Ross, A Voyage of Discovery, 104. London, 1819. 




1918] 


Wissler, Archaeology of the Polar Eskimo. 


1G5 


cutting edge about seven inches long, is figured in his book. He surmised that the 
masses of iron were meteoritic in origin, an opinion which was confirmed by the cele¬ 
brated English chemist, W. H. Wollaston, to whom the fragments were submitted on 
the return of the expedition and who determined the presence of nickel in the iron. 

Rear Admiral R. E. Peary, U. S. N., states 1 that nearly every expedition since 
Ross has had for one of its objectives the discovery of the actual source of this iron, 
but none was successful in its quest. Even Baron N. A. E. Nordenskjold, the Swed¬ 
ish explorer who collected the great masses of telluric native iron on the island of 
Disko, Danish Greenland, failed to reach the locality, when he went to Cape York 
in 1883 for the express purpose of finding the northern Eskimo iron in place. Thus 
was it left to Peary himself to be the first white man to see the mysterious masses 
from which the Smith Sound Eskimo got their precious metal from time immemorial, 
until the frequent visits of whalers and scientific expeditions and, finally, the establish¬ 
ment of the Danish trading station at North Star Bay kept up a supply of manu¬ 
factured iron in comparative abundance. On 27 May, 1894, R. E. Peary with Hugh 
J. Lee and two Eskimo guides Tah-lah-ko-te-ahq and Kes-s’oo uncovered the snow 
from one of the iron masses forming the group of “Cape York” meteorites, and their 
actuality and true character were revealed. In 1895 Peary revisited the locality 
with the steamer “Kite” and brought away the two smaller of the three masses 
then known. He saw the largest of the three masses on this trip but was unable to 
make any attempt at its removal. He was there again in 1896 with the steamship 
“Hope,” but his apparatus was too weak for the task of moving and loading the great 
mass and he was obliged to relinquish the task. Again in 1897 the “Hope” took the 
indefatigable Peary to Meteorite Island and this time he was successful in bringing 
away the prize. Some years later the three masses, known as Ahnighito, weighing 
about thirty-seven tons, the Woman about five thousand pounds, and the Dog about 
nine hundred pounds were acquired by the American Museum of Natural History 
and placed on public exhibition. 

For many years these three masses were supposed to comprise the whole of the 
Cape York series, but the Eskimo knew of a fourth large mass and in the spring of 
1913, Kood-look-tohq led the famous Danish ethnologist Mr. Knud Rasmussen to it. 
The following year Rasmussen took Mr. W. Elmer Ekblaw, geologist of the Crocker 
Land Expedition, to inspect and report upon the block, which lies on the mainland 
back of Bushnan Island about three thousand feet above the sea and about ten miles 
east of north of the area where the Peary group were found. Mr. Rasmussen has 
presented the find to the Royal University at Copenhagen and the mass will be se¬ 
cured after the war is over. 

Like its fellows, this eight-ton mass was surrounded by bowlders of trap which 
the Eskimo had brought in the almost forgotten past to use as hammers in breaking 
off chips and slivers of iron for use in making knives and harpoons. Both Peary and 
Rasmussen describe the manner in which the Eskimo illustrated to them the process 
employed by their ancestors in winning the desired metal. Narrow edges or ridges 
of the masses were laboriously hammered on with the bowlders, until small flakes, 
about one centimeter in diameter were worked off and secured for insertion in grooves 
along the edges of bone or ivory implements and weapons. There can be no doubt, 
judging from these accounts, that the iron formerly in use by the Cape York or Smith 
Sound tribe was meteoritic in origin. Furthermore it seems highly improbable that 


1 Northward, over the Great Ice, 554. New York, 1898. 




166 Anthropological Papers American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XXII. 

these Polar Eskimo ever knew of or used the telluric native iron of Danish Greenland 
in making their implements. The tribe was so effectually isolated by the then 
practically impassable barrier of Melville Bay that its very existence was but dimly 
legendary among the Eskimo of southern Greenland, while the Polar people them¬ 
selves thought that they were the only men in the world, prior to the arrival of Ross 
a century ago. 

The Crocker Land Expedition secured from an Eskimo a small iron meteorite 
which was found near an ancient igloo site at Eskimopolis (Sverdrup’s name) at the 
eastern end of Knud Peninsula, Ellesmere Land, in 1914. This is now in the American 
Museum awaiting complete description, but certain features that it shows make 
desirable a brief reference to it here. It is oval in shape, 9.8 cm. by 9.7 cm. by 4.6 
cm. in size and it weighs 1660 grams. It has not been cut, etched, or analyzed yet, 
but the coarse Widmanstaetten lines shown on an etched surface prove that it is 
meteoric in character. The illustrations given in Fig. 33 show the opposite, nearly 
flat sides of the little mass, for which the name Ahk-po-hone is proposed. The 
artificial edges produced by hammering are clearly indicated in the figures. 



Fig. 33. Ahk-po-hone Meteorite (siderite). Eskimo Igloo Site, Knud Peninsula, 
Ellesmere Land. Shows effects of ancient pounding, probably for the winning of fragments 
for use in arming harpoon points, knives, etc. About 1 nat. size. 


We see then that the place of iron in Eskimo culture has, if anything, 
been more clearly defined by the finds of Captain Comer and the investiga¬ 
tions of the other members of the Crocker Land Expedition. The problem 
is one of the most important in Greenland archaeology and calls for further 
systematic investigation on the ground. We must look to future Danish 
scholars for its solution. 

Aside from this, the present investigation has rather emphasized the 
parallels formerly observed between old Northeast Greenland sites and 
those of Northwest Greenland. There are also parallels with older sites 
at Hudson Bay and westward. Thus, it appears that the archaeological 
problems of Greenland have taken such definite form that their early solu¬ 
tion may be safely predicted. This solution will go a long way in revealing 
the early history of the Eskimo. 

































































































































































































































































































































































• 






































































































































































* 


Vol. XXII, Map 1 


Anthrop. Pap. A. M. N. H. 



1 ound 








DISTRIBUTION OF THE ESKIMO 


TOTAL EXTENT OF TERRITORY OCCUPIED 
BY THE ESKIMO SINCE THEIR APPEAR¬ 
ANCE ON THE ARCTIC COAST. 

SETTLEMENTS, OR GROUPS OF VILLAGES. 
OCCUPIED IN RECENT YEARS. 


STEENSBY. AND BOGORAS. 


COMPILED FROM THALBJTZER. 
A. M. N. H. 1918 































































■ 
















































. 

. • 






































■ '.fvi •: c -j 











•r • 













































The Cosmos Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts 





(Continued from 2d p. of cover.) 


Volume XVII. 


I. Riding Gear of the North American Indians. By Clark Wissler. Pp. 
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